Millennials are the weakest generation yet — at least if you’re measuring hand strength, the Daily Mail reports.
According to a study conducted by the Journal of Hand Therapy, both men and women have lost arm and “grip strength” since the Journal of Hand Therapy conducted a similar survey in 1985. Men have lost, on average, about 20 pounds of grip strength, while women have lost 10.
Elizabeth Fain, the professor from Winston-Salem University who led the study, blames this phenomenon on the rise of technology. “As a society, we’re no longer agricultural or manufacturing. What we’re doing more now is technology-related, especially for millennials.”
Since people are doing less manual labor now than their ancestors did, their muscles are not as developed and their hands are not as strong.
Such wimpy handshakes could affect millennial’s job prospects. The Daily Mail claims that “a lower grip strength could lead to a weak handshake, which could be an issue for millennials attending job interviews.”
The researchers stated that they hope their findings will motivate millennials to strengthen their grip.